The Pittsburgh Steelers' hectic 2026 offseason is continuing to roll along. With Pittsburgh's new regime in place under new Head Coach Mike McCarthy, it has been in the news yet again, and in a negative light. On Thursday, the organization received some alarming grades surrounding several key points. These poor grades spanned across several different categories including the team facilities and the pressing issue of field conditions at Acrisure Stadium. The more alarming reality in the field conditions is that it was not just Steelers players who cited this issue, but it also included players from around the entire league.
Alexandra Wimley / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Owner and President Art Rooney II talking to the media
Steelers Owner and President Art Rooney II was mentioned in a lawsuit back in January from a former employee, Chelsea Zahn, back in January. With this new NFL report dropping, Rooney now has more blemishes on his resume. On Saturday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote about these report card grades the team received and how things are now falling back on Rooney.
"On the same day that the NFLPA report cards were leaked, Rooney announced that the Steelers will be addressing the team’s playing surface," Hiles wrote. "If only he addressed similar issues with such speed and certainty."
The issue that really sticks out in all of this following these poor grades handed out is the organization's reactive approach to issues. The team has seen an abundance of on-field player drama and issues. This includes DK Metcalf and an incident with a Detroit Lions fan during a road game back in December of the 2025 season. However, it was also seen with former players such as Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and George Pickens.
Ryan Sun / Associated Press
Steelers Wide Receiver DK Metcalf walking off the field frustrated during a game at the Detroit Lions in 2025.
The Black and Gold have plenty of things to address, especially when it comes to roster construction. The team has many positional needs as NFL free agency inches closer ahead of the NFL Draft. Hopefully, for the organization's sake, it does a better job of hosting the draft in 2026 than it did taking care of the field during the 2025 campaign.
If the Steelers want to really get back to the true standard they once held, Rooney is going to have to step up big-time as an owner. That standard should be aiming to win AFC Championships and possibly Super Bowls, not just making the playoffs and being outclassed on the field just to say they got in.
Hiles also noted the obvious in his column; the Steelers' seven consecutive playoff losses, which has starved fans for nearly a decade for a postseason win. Most owners are not highly involved and active around their franchises. They are billionaires that have general managers in place to construct a good product on the field and while he is not a football savant, Rooney will have to do better to raise the standard again in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Need To Right The Ship Very Quickly
Pittsburgh needs to right the ship, and quickly, if it wants to start being in the news in a more positive spotlight than it been in as of late. While Rooney is not going to be involved in every single decision, especially with roster decisions which General Manager Omar Khan handling those duties, Rooney should be taking this latest report as a reality check. The Steelers have had far too much negative publicity for a franchise that used to be accustomed to winning at an incredible rate.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and Owner Art Rooney II on the field at a team practices while having a discussion.
A good start to resolving these issues would be for Rooney to get out ahead of them before they even become known problems. A proactive approach to running the organization can go a long way in turning things around in Pittsburgh, both on and off the field. For years we heard the "Standard is the Standard" from former Head Coach Mike Tomlin, but it appears that mediocre standard the team is stuck in has also been enabled by the owner.
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